1 D avid fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, “What have I done? What is my iniquity? What is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?”

¶ And David fled from Naioth in Ramah and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? What is my iniquity or what is my sin before thy father that he seeks my life?

2 H e said to him, “Far from it; you will not die. Behold, my father does nothing either great or small, but that he discloses it to me. Why would my father hide this thing from me? It is not so.”

And he said unto him, No, in no wise; thou shalt not die. Behold, my father will do nothing either great or small, but that he will show it me, and why should my father hide this thing from me? It shall not be so.

3 D avid swore moreover, and said, “Your father knows well that I have found favor in your eyes; and he says, ‘Don’t let Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved:’ but truly as Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death.”

And David swore moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knows that I have found grace in thine eyes, and he saith in himself, Let Jonathan not know this lest he be grieved; but truly as the LORD lives and as thy soul lives, there is but a step between me and death.

4 T hen Jonathan said to David, “Whatever your soul desires, I will even do it for you.”

Then Jonathan said unto David, Whatever thy soul saith, I will do it for thee.

5 D avid said to Jonathan, “Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to dine with the king; but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field to the third day at evening.

And David replied unto Jonathan, Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at food, but thou shalt let me go and hide myself in the field until the evening of the third day.

6 I f your father misses me at all, then say, ‘David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Bethlehem his city; for it is the yearly sacrifice there for all the family.’

If thy father at all misses me, then say, David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Bethlehem, his city, for all those of his lineage have an anniversary sacrifice.

7 I f he says, ‘It is well;’ your servant shall have peace: but if he is angry, then know that evil is determined by him.

If he should say, It is well; thy slave shall have peace; but if he is very wroth, then be sure that the evil is determined in him.

8 T herefore deal kindly with your servant; for you have brought your servant into a covenant of Yahweh with you; but if there is iniquity in me, kill me yourself; for why should you bring me to your father?”

Therefore, thou shalt deal in mercy with thy slave, for thou hast brought thy slave into a covenant of the LORD with thee; notwithstanding, if there is iniquity in me, slay me thyself, for why should thou bring me to thy father?

9 J onathan said, “Far be it from you; for if I should at all know that evil were determined by my father to come on you, then wouldn’t I tell you that?”

¶ And Jonathan said, Far be it from thee, for if I knew certainly that evil were determined by my father to come upon thee, then would I not be obliged to show it to thee?

10 T hen David said to Jonathan, “Who will tell me if perchance your father answers you roughly?”

Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me? Or what if thy father answers thee roughly?

11 J onathan said to David, “Come, and let us go out into the field.” They both went out into the field.

And Jonathan said unto David, Come, and let us go out into the field. And both of them went out into the field.

12 J onathan said to David, “By Yahweh, the God of Israel, when I have sounded my father about this time tomorrow, or the third day, behold, if there is good toward David, won’t I then send to you, and disclose it to you?

Then Jonathan said unto David, O LORD God of Israel, when I shall have asked my father tomorrow at this time or after tomorrow and, behold, if there is good toward David and I then do not send unto thee and show it to thee,

13 Y ahweh do so to Jonathan, and more also, should it please my father to do you evil, if I don’t disclose it to you, and send you away, that you may go in peace. May Yahweh be with you, as he has been with my father.

the LORD do so and much more to Jonathan. But if it pleases my father to do thee evil, then I will show it to thee and send thee away that thou may go in peace; and the LORD be with thee as he has been with my father.

14 Y ou shall not only while yet I live show me the loving kindness of Yahweh, that I not die;

And if I live, thou shalt show me the mercy of the LORD, but if I am dead,

15 b ut you shall also not cut off your kindness from my house forever; no, not when Yahweh has cut off every one of the enemies of David from the surface of the earth.”

thou shalt not cut off thy mercy from my house for ever. When the LORD has cut off one by one the enemies of David from the face of the earth, remove even Jonathan from thy house if I fail thee and require it at the hand of David’s enemies.

16 S o Jonathan made a covenant with David’s house, saying, “Yahweh will require it at the hand of David’s enemies.”

So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David.

17 J onathan caused David to swear again, for the love that he had to him; for he loved him as he loved his own soul.

And Jonathan swore unto David again because he loved him, for he loved him as he loved his own soul.

18 T hen Jonathan said to him, “Tomorrow is the new moon, and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty.

Then Jonathan said to David, Tomorrow is the new moon, and thou shalt be missed because thy seat will be empty.

19 W hen you have stayed three days, go down quickly, and come to the place where you hid yourself when this started, and remain by the stone Ezel.

And when thou hast stayed three days, then thou shalt go down quickly and come to the place where thou didst hide thyself on the day of the work and shalt remain by the stone Ezel;

20 I will shoot three arrows on its side, as though I shot at a mark.

and I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof as though I shot at a mark.

21 B ehold, I will send the boy, saying, ‘Go, find the arrows!’ If I tell the boy, ‘Behold, the arrows are on this side of you. Take them;’ then come; for there is peace to you and no danger, as Yahweh lives.

And, behold, I will send a lad, saying, Go, find the arrows. If I expressly say unto the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of thee; take them, then come thou, for there is peace unto thee and no hurt, as the LORD lives.

22 B ut if I say this to the boy, ‘Behold, the arrows are beyond you;’ then go your way; for Yahweh has sent you away.

But if I say thus unto the young man, Behold, the arrows are beyond thee, then go away, for the LORD has sent thee away.

23 C oncerning the matter which you and I have spoken of, behold, Yahweh is between you and me forever.”

And as touching the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, let the LORD be between thee and me for ever.

24 S o David hid himself in the field. When the new moon had come, the king sat himself down to eat food.

¶ So David hid himself in the field, and when the new moon was come, the king sat down to eat bread.

25 T he king sat on his seat, as at other times, even on the seat by the wall; and Jonathan stood up, and Abner sat by Saul’s side, but David’s place was empty.

And the king sat upon his seat as at other times, even upon a seat by the wall; and Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul’s side, and David’s place was empty.

26 N evertheless Saul didn’t say anything that day, for he thought, “Something has happened to him. He is not clean. Surely he is not clean.”

Nevertheless, Saul said nothing that day, for he thought, Something has befallen him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean.

27 O n the next day after the new moon, the second day, David’s place was empty. Saul said to Jonathan his son, “Why doesn’t the son of Jesse come to eat, either yesterday, or today?”

And it came to pass on the next day, which was the second day of the new moon, that David’s place was empty, and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Why did not the son of Jesse come to food, neither yesterday nor today?

28 J onathan answered Saul, “David earnestly asked permission of me to go to Bethlehem.

And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem.

29 H e said, ‘Please let me go, for our family has a sacrifice in the city. My brother has commanded me to be there. Now, if I have found favor in your eyes, please let me go away and see my brothers.’ Therefore he has not come to the king’s table.”

And he said, Let me go, I pray thee, for those of our lineage have a sacrifice in the city, and my brother, he has commanded me to be there, and now, if I have found grace in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren. Therefore he has not come unto the king’s table.

30 T hen Saul’s anger burned against Jonathan, and he said to him, “You son of a perverse rebellious woman, don’t I know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame, and to the shame of your mother’s nakedness?

Then Saul’s anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman, do I not know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion and unto the confusion of thy mother’s shame?

31 F or as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, you will not be established, nor will your kingdom. Therefore now send and bring him to me, for he shall surely die!”

For as long as the son of Jesse lives upon the land, thou shalt not be established nor thy kingdom. Therefore, now send and bring him unto me, for he shall surely die.

32 J onathan answered Saul his father, and said to him, “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?”

And Jonathan answered Saul his father and said unto him, Why shall he be slain? What has he done?

33 S aul cast his spear at him to strike him. By this Jonathan knew that his father was determined to put David to death.

And Saul cast a spear at him to smite him whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David.

34 S o Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and ate no food the second day of the month; for he was grieved for David, because his father had treated him shamefully.

So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger and ate no food the second day of the new moon, for he was grieved for David and because his father had done him shame.

35 I n the morning, Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little boy with him.

¶ And it came to pass in the morning that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad with him.

36 H e said to his boy, “Run, find now the arrows which I shoot.” As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.

And he said unto his lad, Run and find the arrows which I shoot. And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.

37 W hen the boy had come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the boy, and said, “Isn’t the arrow beyond you?”

And when the lad was come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad, and said, Is not the arrow beyond thee?

38 J onathan cried after the boy, “Go fast! Hurry! Don’t delay!” Jonathan’s boy gathered up the arrows, and came to his master.

And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And Jonathan’s lad gathered up the arrows and came to his master.

39 B ut the boy didn’t know anything. Only Jonathan and David knew the matter.

But the lad did not understand anything; only Jonathan and David understood the matter.

40 J onathan gave his weapons to his boy, and said to him, “Go, carry them to the city.”

And Jonathan gave his weapons unto his lad and said unto him, Go, carry them to the city.

41 A s soon as the boy was gone, David arose out of the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times. They kissed one another, and wept one with another, and David wept the most.

And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of a place toward the Negev and fell on his face to the ground and bowed himself three times, and they kissed one another and wept one with another, although David exceeded.

42 J onathan said to David, “Go in peace, because we have both sworn in Yahweh’s name, saying, ‘Yahweh is between me and you, and between my offspring and your offspring, forever.’” He arose and departed; and Jonathan went into the city.

And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD, saying, The LORD be between me and thee and between my seed and thy seed for ever. And he arose and departed, and Jonathan entered into the city.